Lagos State Governor, Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, has vowed to take firm and necessary measures to stem the rising incidents of fire outbreaks and building collapses across the state.
The governor made this known during an inspection of the 22-storey Great Nigeria House, which was recently gutted by fire and subsequently collapsed about ten days ago.
He explained that the structural integrity of the remaining part of the building could not be guaranteed, a situation that has delayed the commencement of excavation to clear the debris.
Governor Sanwo-Olu directed the Lagos State Building Control Agency to urgently intensify its crackdown on substandard and unsafe structures, which he said are largely responsible for recurring building collapses and fire disasters in the state.
While commiserating with the families of the victims, the governor appealed for the cooperation of relevant federal agencies and multinational companies to provide technical expertise required to safely bring down the remaining structure and allow excavation to begin immediately.
As of the time of the visit, eight bodies had been recovered from the site.